About the Artist

"I hope you love birds too. It is economical. It saves going to heaven."
Emily Dickinson.
Mark Eberhard has sketched and photographed animals in Kenya and all over the United States. But most days, he doesn't have to venture beyond his backyard to find inspiration. In fact, sometimes he doesn't even have to leave the house. In winter, dozens of cardinals and mourning doves show up at the feeder outside his studio. A barred owl and her fledglings spent a week hanging out in the driveway. A pair of Cooper's hawks took up residence in the backyard. And each morning, three or four rabbits wait patiently for breakfast.

Artist Statement

Charley Harper (August 4, 1922 -June 10, 2007) was a Cincinnati-based American Modernist artist. He was best known for his highly stylized wildlife prints, posters and book illustrations. In a style he called "minimal realism", Charley Harper captured the essence of his subjects with the fewest possible visual elements. When asked to describe his unique visual style, Charley responded:
When I look at a wildlife or nature subject, I don't see the feathers in the wings, I just count the wings. During his career, Charley Harper illustrated numerous books, notably The Golden Book of Biology, magazines such as Ford Times, as well as many prints, posters, and other works. I had always admired Charley's work for its design, its humor and its humanity. He was a true inspiration. I never had the opportunity to meet him until 1996 when we were both exhibiting in the same show. He came up to me, looked at my work and said "Keep doing what you're doing. Never compromise." Almost twenty years later, I am still guided by those inspiring words.